...10/09/2009 Thursday; Night...
The tension was almost palpable as hurried footsteps began echoing in the stairwell.
Hiro turned his head, still holding Fuuka in his arms, while Koromaru ran ahead, barking frantically.
The command room door burst open, revealing Mitsuru, Yukari, Junpei, Akihiko, Shinjiro, Minato, and Ken entering in a mix of urgency and alarm.
Yukari brought her hands to her mouth at the sight of blood staining Fuuka's face.
"Oh my God... Fuuka…" Her voice trembled, muffled by the shock.
Junpei rushed across the room, pulling a cloth from his pocket and trying to clean her face, though his hands were visibly shaking.
"Who did this?" he asked, his voice filled with fear and anger.
Hiro, his face contorted with frustration and helplessness, only shook his head as he looked at Fuuka, still unconscious.
"I... I don't know. She was already like this when I got here…" His voice came out muffled, almost a whisper, heavy with rage.
Aigis stepped forward toward the sofa, her stance firm, though the concern in her voice was evident. "Hiro-san, lay her down here."
Gently, Hiro placed Fuuka onto the sofa, adjusting her head to make sure she was comfortable.
Aigis knelt beside her, her eyes glowing as she activated her scanners.
Lines of data passed through her internal vision, displaying a full analysis of Fuuka's injuries.
An orange mark appeared on the frontal area of her skull, indicating a significant impact, while her nose showed a deep red alert, signaling a fracture.
Aigis narrowed her eyes. "She suffered a nasal fracture and a moderate head impact. The cranial damage is not severe. Medical assistance will not be necessary for now."
"But who would do something like this to her?!" Akihiko snapped, frustrated as he looked at his injured friend.
Minato, silent until now, crossed his arms, his attention fixed on the computer screen.
Something caught his eye. The display clearly showed: File deleted.
He stepped closer, pointing at the screen. "Mitsuru, the video… it's been erased."
Mitsuru's eyes widened.
"What?" Her voice was a mix of disbelief and anger.
Shinjiro remained silent for a moment, his expression hardening as the pieces of the puzzle began falling into place in his mind.
Deleted documents, the man in black.
He finally broke the silence, his deep voice unwavering. "It was that guy."
Hiro looked up, still kneeling beside the couch. "Who?"
"The man in black," Shinjiro replied, his eyes fixed on the others. "The same one who erased the files about your Persona, Hiro."
Before anyone could react, the roar of an engine erupted from outside, coming from the back of the building.
Hiro, Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Minato ran to the window.
Down below, a man in a black trench coat, leather gloves, balaclava, and mask was mounting a red motorcycle.
He lifted his head, realizing he was being watched.
Before speeding away, in a theatrical gesture, he removed his fedora, bowing elegantly in farewell.
"Son of a bitch!" Hiro slammed his fist against the window, rage coursing through his veins. "He's down there!"
Mitsuru turned to Aigis, her voice firm and authoritative. "Aigis!"
Aigis did not hesitate. "Understood," she said firmly.
With agile movements, she sprinted toward the window.
Everyone stepped back to give her space as Aigis hurled herself through the opening, shattering the glass in an explosion of shards.
Mid-air, she spun, activating the built-in machine guns on her arms before landing on the ground with a resounding impact.
Noir wasted no time. He revved the engine, the motorcycle roaring as he sped through the alleyway.
Aigis aimed her weapons, unleashing a burst of gunfire at him.
But the dust kicked up from her landing made aiming difficult.
Noir, with an almost irritating level of finesse, dodged effortlessly, making a sharp turn onto the street.
Before disappearing, he raised his hand in a mocking wave, clearly enjoying himself.
Aigis lowered her weapons, her eyes narrowing in frustration. "Damn it… I couldn't catch him."
As she kept her gaze fixed on the direction Noir had vanished, a piece of paper floated toward her, spinning slowly before landing in her hand.
Unfolding it, she realized it was a printed message:
"It was a pleasure meeting you all again, S.E.E.S. However, I cannot accept your warm welcome. I look forward to our next encounter.
Elegantly typed,
NOIR."
Aigis clenched the paper in her fist. "Noir…" she murmured, her voice filled with determination.
From the window, Yukari shouted. "Aigis! Get back here before someone notices the gunfire!"
The android stored the paper inside a compartment in her arm and gave a firm nod to herself. "I'm coming!"
She dashed back toward the dorm, knowing there was much to discuss and, above all, that S.E.E.S. was now officially in Noir's sights.
...10/09/2009 Thursday; Almost Midnight...
The silence in the room was tense as everyone waited for Fuuka to wake up. Hiro remained standing, the paper left by Noir still in his hands.
He stared at the text with a dark expression, but soon, his rage overflowed.
He tore the paper into small pieces, his voice filled with frustration. "Son of a bitch! He's making fools out of us!"
Yukari stepped forward, her expression understanding as she tried to calm him down. "Hiro... take it easy..."
"How am I supposed to stay calm, Yukari?" Hiro started pacing back and forth, his heavy footsteps echoing through the room. "That Noir guy... he's already broken into the dorm twice. And now he attacked Fuuka. What's stopping him from doing it again?"
Minato, sitting in the armchair, seemed unbothered as he observed everything.
He finally spoke, his calm voice cutting through the air. "Honestly… there was no way for him to know about the video. How could he have known that Aigis was going to edit it?"
Mitsuru, arms crossed, analyzed the situation with a thoughtful look. "The only way he could know… is if he has a hidden listening device or camera."
At that moment, Ken, who was near the sofa where Fuuka was lying, called everyone's attention. "She's waking up!"
Hiro and Yukari rushed to the couch, where Fuuka slowly opened her eyes.
Her forehead was wrapped in a bandage, and a dressing covered her broken nose.
She blinked a few times, confused, as her gaze swept across the room, meeting the worried faces of everyone around her.
Hiro's voice seemed to echo in Fuuka's mind as she tried to get her bearings. "Fuu...ka... Fuuka... can you hear me?"
She finally focused on Hiro's face, but before she could answer, Mitsuru approached and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Yamagishi, take it slow," Mitsuru said, her tone gentle but firm.
Fuuka furrowed her brows, her voice heavy with confusion. "Kirijo-senpai... what happened?"
Akihiko, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, answered bluntly. "You were attacked by the man in black who erased the documents about Hiro's Persona. We found out his name is Noir."
Akihiko's words made Fuuka squeeze her eyes shut, trying to remember.
Fragments started surfacing in her mind: the moment Noir appeared behind her, the casual farewell gesture… and then the punch.
Her body reacted instinctively to the shock, and she tried to sit up abruptly, but Hiro held her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him.
"Easy, Fuuka. It's okay now. You're safe," he said, his voice filled with concern.
Fuuka took a deep breath, locking eyes with Hiro.
After a few seconds, she gave in to the need for comfort and hugged him.
Hiro was surprised for a moment but soon returned the embrace, gently running his hand through her hair as he tried to soothe her.
"We're all here," he murmured, his voice calm despite his earlier anger. "Just breathe..."
Fuuka nodded and slowly pulled away, adjusting herself on the couch. "Okay… thank you," she said, still catching her breath.
Akihiko, scratching his chin, decided to get straight to the point. "I know this is a bad time, Fuuka. But do you remember what you saw in the video?"
Shinjiro scoffed, incredulous. "Are you seriously asking that now?"
Fuuka raised a hand to her head, trying to push past the pain as she forced herself to remember. "I… it's okay, Aragaki-senpai. I don't remember everything, but…" She stopped, pressing her eyes shut as a sharp pain shot through her head.
Yukari placed her hands on Fuuka's shoulders, helping her lean back against the couch. "Fuuka, don't push yourself. You might still be weak from the hit."
"I'm sorry," Fuuka replied, forcing a small smile. "But I need to say this…"
All eyes were on her as she continued. "Before that… what's his name again?"
"Noir," Minato replied, arms crossed.
Fuuka nodded. "Before Noir attacked me… I managed to send the video to someone's email."
Junpei's eyes widened in surprise. "You did? To who?"
Mitsuru seemed more at ease upon hearing that. "Probably to my father or me. Yamagishi, that was a good decision. Très bien."
Hiro looked at the clock on the wall, noticing it was close to midnight.
He sighed, exhaustion mixing with frustration in his voice. "Well… looks like we're not solving this tonight…"
At the exact moment the clock struck midnight, the lights began to flicker, flashing several times before going out completely.
The sound of Tartarus's bell echoed through the room, and an eerie green glow seeped through the windows.
Outside, the sky changed, submerging everything into a macabre atmosphere.
And once again, the Dark Hour begins.
...10/09/2009 Thursday; Dark Hour...
The eerie green light of the Dark Hour filtered through the window, casting distorted shadows on the walls of the room.
The initial silence was broken by Junpei's incredulous voice.
"Damn... We were so worried about Fuuka that we didn't even notice it was almost midnight."
Ken took a few steps toward Mitsuru, doubt clear on his face. "Kirijo-senpai, we're not going to Tartarus, right?"
Mitsuru looked at Ken, then at Fuuka, who was still recovering on the couch.
Concern was evident on her face, but her voice remained firm. "No. Yamagishi might have problems if she exerts herself too much. So, for a few days, we won't go to Tartarus."
Trying to lighten the mood, Yukari gave a small smile. "At least we'll have time to res—"
Before she could finish, her words trailed off.
A crushing pressure filled the room, dense and overwhelming.
The air felt heavier, and everyone's bodies tensed as their eyes widened.
Hiro wiped his forehead, feeling cold sweat trickling down. "It's not just me feeling this pressure… right?"
Junpei swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "I… I feel it too… What the hell is happening??"
The computer started beeping furiously, the sharp and insistent sound filling the command room.
Aigis rushed to the keyboard, her fingers moving swiftly as she accessed the scanners.
On the screen, the graphs showed an alarming spike in Shadow energy.
When the map of Tatsumi Port Island appeared, the image was flooded with countless pulsating red dots.
Akihiko, in disbelief, stepped closer to get a better look. "Shit… is that…"
Mitsuru's eyes widened, her voice filled with tension. "That's all Shadows."
The red dots continued to increase in number, so much that the computer alarm became even more persistent.
Hiro stared at the screen, trying to count. "Ninety… a hundred… Jesus Christ… there are at least a hundred Shadows out there…"
Ken frowned, confused. "But… how did this happen all of a sudden?"
Without taking her eyes off the keyboard, Aigis responded quickly. "It didn't happen… it was caused."
Minato, who had remained silent until then, stood up. "What do you mean?"
Aigis pointed at the map. "Pay attention to their movement. If you look closely, you can see that they're being influenced to seek something. But for that to happen, a high number of souls must be involved…"
On the screen, the red dots started concentrating in two specific locations: the residential area and Moonlight Bridge.
Junpei pointed at the screen, panic evident in his voice. "But how the hell are we supposed to take down so many Shadows at once? That's a literal horde!"
"Everyone, calm down!" Mitsuru raised her voice, and the command was enough to silence the room.
She took a deep breath, her determined gaze scanning the group.
"I know it sounds insane," she began, her voice firm. "But that doesn't mean we won't fight! If there's anyone who can handle this, it's us."
Hiro stepped forward, nodding in agreement. "But for that, we'll need to split into two groups. We can't handle one of these locations and leave the other for later."
Akihiko crossed his arms, considering. "Not to mention, it's risky for Fuuka to use her Persona because of her head injury."
Mitsuru looked at Ken, assessing the situation. "Amada-kun, can you stay here at the dorm with Yamagishi?"
Ken nodded, though hesitantly. "Well… I can. But are you sure about leaving just the two of us here?"
"I am." Mitsuru confirmed with a nod. "Besides keeping Yamagishi safe, you'll be protecting the dorm from any threats. There's a chance some Shadows might come this way."
Hiro looked at her. "So, Mitsuru, how are we doing this?"
"We'll split into two teams," Mitsuru announced, her decision final. "Arisato, I know you just recovered from the Shadow Arcana infection, but I'll need you to lead the second team."
Minato nodded, his expression serious. "Alright. Aigis said I can fight, but I can't use my Persona too much."
"Good," Mitsuru said. "I want you to take Hiro, Aigis, and Aragaki to Moonlight Bridge. The rest will come with me to the residential area."
Akihiko cracked his knuckles, a determined grin forming. "Well… better than nothing. Let's take down those Shadows."
Fuuka tried to sit up, her hand on her chest. "I… I have to go with you. You can't go without someone managing strategies."
Hiro approached, his voice firm but gentle. "No, Fuuka. You're staying. We can't risk making your condition worse."
She wanted to protest, but the worried looks from everyone made her give in. "I understand… I'll stay."
Mitsuru nodded, satisfied. "Très bien. But you'll still be a great help if you keep your telepathy active. Just keeping us informed already helps a lot."
The leader then looked at the group, determination shining in her words. "Now, enough talk! Go get ready!"
"Understood!" they all responded in unison, their voices firm.
Mitsuru sighed, watching the group disperse.
As Hiro passed her, he exchanged a brief but meaningful glance.
"Don't worry," he said with a small smile. "Trust us."
Despite her concern, Mitsuru returned the smile. "I know… be careful."
With that, Hiro rushed off to gear up, while Mitsuru stood for a moment, taking a deep breath before heading to prepare herself.
Each of them had one goal: to destroy the Shadow horde before the number of victims increased even further.